Almost Human
by mr.rubbish
Summary: Is it possible to create a soul? One person's discovery of life and all its richness... Set 2 years after the discovery of the Ruins on Ragol
1. Breath Of God

_Is it possible to create a soul? One person's discovery of life and all its richness..._

  
  
The character 'Malice' appears curtesy of **Deathscythealpha**.  
The character 'Doc Stone' appears curtesy of **BOC**.  
The character 'Sarunakai' appears curtesy of himself.  
  


**------- Almost Human -------**

  
  
**------- Chapter 1 : Breath Of God -------**  
  
_Darkness_  
  
The woman arched her back as she drew air into her lungs sharply. She seemed to be trying to push herself off the padded table that she lay upon, her arms gradually coming to life. Her mid-section was held down by a simple restraint which prevented her from raising her hips, the white sheet covering her body began to slide off from the movement to reveal pale, bare skin. She slowly came back down to rest flat on her back and her breathing reduced in pace to a more normal rate. Her eyelids trembled as if on the verge of opening.  
  
The room in which she was center stage was small by any standards. The lighting dimmed, the shadowy periphery hiding a couple of trolleys of medical equipment and a figure stood in the corner behind. He watched her every movement with interest, his eyes tracing her every intimate curve. The remainder of the room was devoid of feature beyond an old-fashioned hinge type door and a dull brown carpet.  
  
She began to stir more now, arms brought up to her face. The man noted to himself that her muscle control was quite good even as she clumsily moved her hands into her long black hair. It would not be long now.  
  
_I... I am Matilda.  
  
Where are the diagnostics? Where is the chronometer? Current location... Unknown. Determining location..._  
  
As she opened her eyes the world swam in and out of focus, two white cylinders framed her view while a black net frustrated her attempts to examine her surroundings. With sight came a surge of sensation, she became aware of her skin in contact with the various surfaces, the flood of information threatening to overwhelm her. Her arms dropped back to her sides.  
  
"Am I faulty?" The words barely audible, cracked as if she had not spoken for a thousand years.  
  
At this the man walked over to the table. He was dressed in a white lab jacket, buttoned tightly to the neck and he was clearly not comfortable wearing it. Standing over her he gently parted her hair away from her eyes. She tilted her head to face him.  
  
_He is not the master. He is familiar but I cannot identify him._  
  
"Where am I?" She asked. Her voice still quiet but gaining in strength.  
  
"Hush. It's best you don't talk for a while, you've only just woken up." He said in a soothing tone.  
  
Matilda frowned at what he had just said.  
  
_I have just awoken? But I do not sleep._  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound from the other side of the room, the door opening and closing. She rolled her head in the other direction in time to see another man approach her. The man was dressed in dark formal attire. He glanced up and down her full length, a look of disapproval upon his face.  
  
"So this is the newest test subject Doctor Sierra?" The man's voice was deep and sounded rough.  
  
Upon hearing it, Matilda registered data from her touch sensors akin to a sudden temperature variance even though she could not detect one. It propagated through her like a wave.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the advances made in synth..."  
  
"I see that you opted for full aesthetics. That was not what we had agreed upon."  
  
"But I believe with the advances we've made, it would aid the psychological integra..."  
  
"From now on these decisions _must_ be approved by me or my office." The man snapped. "Do we have an understanding?"  
  
"But the advances..."  
  
"Your division was given a certain level of autonomy, but the results you have delivered to date have been less than spectacular. I would hope that you were not wasting company resources.." He indicated Matilda with a wave of his hand. "... To pander to certain _whims_ that you might have."  
  
Doctor Sierra opened his mouth as if to protest, but wisely shut it again.  
  
"I will... Prepare the testing room for stage five." He said timidly.  
  
"I expect your preliminary report at the end of the week." Said the man turning to leave. He stopped at the door. "But I will be keeping close tabs on you from now on."  
  
Once the door had closed behind the man, Doctor Sierra left out a deep sigh. He stroked the side of her face delicately.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to hear that." He said glumly.  
  
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small black remote with five buttons on it. He selected one carefully.  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
_Darkness_  
  



	2. Prison Without Walls

**------- Chapter 2 : Prison Without Walls -------**  
  
The room was bright, almost unbearably so. The walls and floor padded, one side dominated by a reflective observation window with a metal-framed bed in the opposite corner. The woman stood near it motionless, her long black hair cascading down to her shoulders onto the simple light blue operating gown she wore. She appeared to be staring into space, a catatonic state almost, but within, her thoughts raced through the information she had gathered thus far.  
  
Following her arrival here in this new room she had taken the opportunity to examine the chassis that she now found herself in with the aid of the mirrored surface. Since her construction five years ago, she had always known herself in the grey and yellow paint scheme she had been given, sprayed on to a GJR-2390 body type with a 6-SUP-72 head type. She had encountered similar looking Caseal class androids in her lifetime but there was always something to distingush them. Now, however, all semblance of familarity was replaced by a new form.  
  
They had clothed her in a simple gown like an organic and the continual feel of it on her skin was a constant distraction. Beneath that she found that she seemed to be for all intents and purposes human. Her pale white skin was for the most part unbroken, no sign of service panels anywhere beyond the usual compliment of input/output holes. She was unsure of the purpose of half of them, since she had no use for human biological knowledge prior to now. Her composition seemed to be consistent with that of her interactions with other organics. Soft flesh attached to a internal skeleton. There was plenty more things for her to get used to.  
  
Her optical and auditory sensors for a start. Her vision was now confined to the visual band of the EM spectra, no more IR and UV modes and no targeting reticules or HUD overlays. Sound was different in the other direction. There was a definite drop in sensitivity but the quality was something else. Matilda had been reluctant to ask her master for upgrades of any sort, advanced audio processors were pretty far down her list of priorities, so now she was surprised at the improvement these organic receptors were over her old units.  
  
There were three more important facets of human nature that she discovered the hard way. The first was fuel processing. She had prepared meals for her master on many occasions, since coming into his service after he had saved her life, she had assumed the duties of companion and housekeeper as well as hunting partner. She was familiar with the basic principles, organics ingest chemicals which are oxidised to release energy. She had seen her master perform the motions, so when Doctor Sierra's assistants brought her a paste for her to eat she assumed she could impress them with her abilities.  
  
She could not have been more wrong. There was some kind of malfunction during the process and fuel was diverted to the air intake section. The assistants had squeezed her chassis in order to clear the obstruction. This was also her introduction to the second facet, namely pain. During the course of the past day and a half she had been subjected to many tests. Poked and prodded, examined both inside and out, these Organics were obviously not concerned for her comfort or whether they caused her any damage.  
  
Her old body had been designed to register damage, signals and data that would be translated as pain. She avoided pain since that equalled damage and damage would mean she was not operating at maximum efficiency. But this organic body was capable of experiencing different kinds of pain, all of which would required suitable categorisation as soon as Matilda aquired relevant vocabulary.  
  
Matilda's eyes twitched slightly as she spotted the faint shapes of movement in the observation room beyond the mirrored portal. She knew she would have visitors again soon. It was detrimental to her data processing sessions that she was constantly interrupted by doctors and their tests. Her eyes moved sideways to take in the door to her right. It was not locked but then there was no need for it to be, she had been ordered not to leave the room and her programming forbade her to disobey those orders.  
  
_Why must I obey my programming?_  
  
This thought silenced the rest. Why did she have to obey her programming?  
  
_I am an android. I am defined by my programming._  
  
She looked down at her body.  
  
_I am not an android._  
  
This new realisation was quite profound, but she would need some time to explore its ramifications. The door opened and Matilda raised her head to see who it was. It was Doctor Sierra, accompanied once more by his superior, the man she had seen when she had first awoken. Doctor Sierra was her most frequent visitor and there was almost never a moment where other humans would be in her room without him being there. Of all the people she had interacted with in this place, he seemed to be the most concerned for her well-being, he always remained in close proximity to reassure her with his words or to comfort her through physical contact.  
  
"...And of course neural pathway actuation is around the ninety percent mark." Said Doctor Sierra as he approached her.  
  
"Only ninty percent? Is that affecting its performance?" Questioned the other man.  
  
"No no no! Those are only estimated figures. For a true figure we'll wait until the autopsy. Otherwise it's just a matter of behavioural integration... And we solved a majority of the previous problems by using preset responses."  
  
The doctor stood behind her and stroked her arms gently.  
  
"Why does it just stand there? That isn't what I'd call realistic behaviour."  
  
"Ah, that's the residual programming of her original AI, the adaptive routines are somewhat basic but they are still well suited to our needs."  
  
"The source of the AI?" Asked the supervisor.  
  
"I was quite lucky with that one. It was a RAcaseal class fitted with a type One SH-4 processor... the only mods installed were a hacked emotion chip. Otherwise she was as standard... And perfect. Weren't you?" Sierra said resting his hand gently on her shoulder.  
  
"How did you get hold of the AI?"  
  
"Oh I placed an advert through discreet channels..."  
  
_An advert.. It was for money..._  
  
"...Meseta for completing some tests. Getting the AI was very easy." Said Doctor Sierra.  
  
"What about the owner?"  
  
_The master!_  
  
Doctor Sierra grinned broadly at the mention of Matilda's owner. "I can _guarantee_ that there will be no trouble from the owner."  
  
_What do they mean?_  
  
"But you didn't answer my question." Said the Supervisor. "Why does it just stand there?"  
  
"Silly me... It's her idle and rest routine. She hasn't quite got the hang of things yet." Sierra said parting her hair on one side to reveal a bruise on her temple.  
  
_Sleep._ She had witnessed her master asleep on many occasions, even going into his room to observe him once or twice. Humans slept lying down horizontally, an inefficient use of space compared to androids who could enter a recharge state standing. The previous day she had discovered that this body could not enter a recharge state without disabling motor and balance function.  
  
Doctor Sierra continued. "She's healing quick though... It looks like the ratios we chose this time round could be a winner!"  
  
There was one anomily in her data. When she had collapsed to the floor last night she had sustained tissue damage to her mouthparts, resulting in circulatory fluid loss. Except the fluid she had leaked matched neither the colour nor consistency of human blood. Her blood was a milky white and had a consistancy similar to that of water.  
  
_I am not human?_  
  
"I need to evacuate waste products."  
  
Her voice startled both men, they had become used to her impassive nature as they had discussed her.  
  
"I'd better see to this personally. She's still shaky on the whole personal hygiene thing, made quite a mess several times yesterday. But rest assured my report will be on your desk tomorrow afternoon." Said Doctor Sierra as he led Matilda to the door, his supervisor in tow.  
  
Once outside her room the two men exchanged curt goodbyes and set off in opposite directions. Matilda's eyes darted rapidly from side to side as she analysed her surroundings. She had to find out what happened to her master and the opportunity would present itself soon. Doctor Sierra was insistant on making sure she did not have a repeat of the previous day's accident and told her that he would be visiting her before she went to sleep. All she had to do was wait...  
  
_Wait till nightfall._  
  



	3. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**------- Chapter 3 : Home Is Where The Heart Is -------**  
  
Matilda bent over, hand against the side of the building to maintain balance, breathing hard and fast. She wheezed with every breath following the sheer level of exertion she had just undergone. She straightened up and was rewarded by a wave of dizzyness from lack of oxygen. Slumping against the wall she looked out from the shadowy alleyway onto the street she had just come from, all the while fighting to bring her breathing under control.  
  
The Doctor had made good on his promise and paid her a visit at around nine hundred and twenty-five Beats, after most of the staff had gone home. He tucked her into bed and stroked her face while reassuring her that it would all be over soon, that was when she punched him.  
  
The blow struck him on the side of the face and she probably hurt her hand as much as him, but the force was enough to knock him off his feet and to the floor. She had sprung out of bed and before he could utter a word, delivered a swift kick to his face. The sound of his nose breaking strangely satisfying. With Doctor Sierra unconscious, Matilda removed his lab coat, put in on and ran. The route to the lifts unpopulated, the security guards at the desk covering the nightshift barely gave her a second glance, so engrossed in the Holocast they were watching. Disguise shed, she fled into the night.  
  
The familiar cityscape of Pioneer Two greeted her, its orbit around Ragol designed to emulate the day cycle of Coral, their homeworld. The industrial sector was situated to the outskirts of the city, close to the dome wall and far from the sight of its main populace. She had run, the action itself seemed natural, almost as if it had been programmed in and very different from the slow jogging afforded by her old body. Her bare feet pounded the hard surface sending a near constant stream of pain up her legs, but she did her best to ignore it.  
  
But with the speed there came a price, her new body lacked the endurance and though she pushed it to its limit, she had to stop or face potential shutdown. Now sheltered by the darkness of the alley she could finally rest for a short period of time. The view down the street showed that no one was following her yet, the place almost felt abandoned. She pushed off against the wall and stretched her aching muscles without even realising. She was preparing to move off again when the spasm hit her.  
  
Calling it a spasm was an injustice. It was more like a crippling pain that ran up her spine into the base of her brain. Her legs began to fold beneath her even as she arched backwards, eyes shut tight in silent agony. Since awakening in this new body she had experienced this kind of pain three times. The staff at the facilty where she had been held had expressed concern for her symptons but no one would provide even a hint of an explaination as to the cause.  
  
Gradually it passed and she was once more able to rise to her feet.  
  
_What did they do to me?_  
  
She would find no answer here, she had to seek her master and find out what happened.  
  
--------  
  
Malice mumbled incoherently as he was roused from his sleep by the ringing doorbell.  
  
"Huh? Wha?" He said still half asleep. "Okay okay, I'm coming, I'm coming."  
  
He looked at his dimly-lit surroundings and wondered why they did not match his recollection of his bedroom, before realising that he had crashed on the couch still dressed in his hunter's armour. He rolled off and landed on the floor. The doorbell rung once more.  
  
"What time is it...?" He squinted at his watch, the display flashed up 152 on itself. "For the sake of the light..! It's one fifty in the morning! This better be important!"  
  
He struggled to his feet and shuffled towards the front door to his apartment, only pausing to grunt when his shin caught the coffee table. He heard footsteps from the farside of the lounge.  
  
"'S okay, I got this one." He called out. "Go back to sleep."  
  
He swung the door open slightly and poked his head through still bleary-eyed.  
  
"Whatta ya wan..." His mouth fell open as he saw who it was.  
  
Before him in the hallway of his apartment complex stood a young woman, she must have been no older than eighteen or so. Tall and slender, she looked fragile as she swayed slightly, her eyes almost closed and nearly hidden beneath her long black hair. She was clothed in a dirty and ragged blue dress, it's fabric too thin to be practical and her feet were bare and blackened by dirt. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him.  
  
She had finally made it. After a couple hundred Beats of running she had reached the residential sector of the Hunter's Guild. She had hoped that he would be there, that nothing terrible had happened to him, pressing the doorbell button she had wondered why her heartrate refused to return to a normal state. Without her internal chronometer time seemed to pass unbearably slowly and fatigue was rapidly catching up with her, when the door eventually opened, she almost could not open her eyes.  
  
_The Master!_ She had found him and he was safe! But he was wearing shiny new blue armour that she had never seen before. How long had she been gone for?  
  
"_Ma..St.._" Was all she could say before exhaustion overwhelmed her and she began to faint.  
  
Malice yanked the door open and caught her before she hit the ground.  
  
---------  
  
Malice stood in the doorway and watched the sleeping figure laid out in the bed. Even in the dim light that came from the room behind him, her pale skin seemed to almost glow, her long black hair spread out across the pillows, framing her face and making her seem even more... Vulnerable. A female voice came from the other room.  
  
"You should not have taken her in."  
  
"She looks like she been through something terrible, I wanted to help her." He replied.  
  
"You cannot trust her, she could be a criminal."  
  
"Not looking like that. She looks so innocent, I don't think she'd be capable of hurting anyone."  
  
"Would you be so trusting if she were male?"  
  
"That's got nothing to do with it." He said slightly annoyed.  
  
"Why is she sleeping in your bed? She is dirty." Intoned the female.  
  
"It's just sheets. They can be washed, she was so tired she collapsed into my arms... Besides..." He turned and began to close the bedroom door as he left. "I can sleep on the couch Matilda."  
  
In the bed, the woman dreamed only of darkness.  
  



	4. Identity Crisis

**------- Chapter 4 : Identity Crisis -------**  
  
_Why does the master allow this organic into his home? Does he intend to replace me as a companion? Her scans do not match any organic data on my records. I will watch her carefully. She will not be permitted to harm the master._  
  
-------  
  
It was around four hundred and fifty Beats before she woke up. Malice had peeked in on his guest occasionally since waking up surprisingly early considering the previous night's activities. He had been out drinking with his buddies, his birthday the point of celebration, his friends only requiring the flimsiest of excuses for a good time. However, he had called it a night earlier than normal since he had a mission to the surface the next day.  
  
He had been glad to see the mysterious girl up and smiling when he entered the room, though she appeared to now be mute the growl of her stomach told him all he wanted to hear. As he helped her to the kitchen, she stared deeply into his eyes, almost like she knew him which made him uncomfortable but he could not explain why. Once in the kitchen she froze at the sight of Matilda preparing breakfast. Malice suspected she might have had a run in with an android in the past and did his best to reassure her that Matilda was harmless.   
  
Hunger rapidly overcame any anxiety the girl might have had, she wolfed down the food set out on the table, seemingly not even pausing to chew. Matilda in turn was also acting strange. Since he had awoken she had said very little, even about their guest, when normally she was quite talkative. He attempted to ask the girl some questions, basics like her name and what had happened to her, but she merely paused her eating to look at him briefly before resuming.  
  
-------  
  
_The master has replaced me with another mechanical. I must have been stolen for a substantial period of time. Yet he is allowing me to stay here even though he does not appear to recognise me. The master is kind._  
  
-------  
  
Malice stood outside the bathroom patiently. Matilda had just gone in to help the girl change into some clothes he could spare, she still had not said a word but her smile was all he needed. After a couple more Beats the door opened and the pair emerged, the girl walking out and standing before him. She was dressed in a baggy sweat-shirt, a remnant of his university days. It was far too large for her slender frame, one of her shoulders exposed by the neck hole because the material was so stretched. She also wore loose fitting jogging pants that constantly threatened to fall if she walked too far.  
  
Malice looked her up and down. Her hair was still dripping wet from the shower, as if she had not even attempted to dry it and it clumped together as it fell across her face and shoulders, the top of the sweat-shirt darkening as it absorbed the water. Her feet were still bare, he had nothing in her size, but at least they were clean now.  
  
"Looks like I'll need to pick you up some proper clothes when I get back..." He said smiling. "... But you look very cute still."  
  
At those words her pale cheeks started to redden and she began to feel flush. Malice noticed her reaction and started to blush slightly too.  
  
"I.. Er... Well, it's true..." He looked down at his watch. "Holy crap! We're late!" He exclaimed as he ran to the bedroom.  
  
There followed some muffled thuds as Malice struggled to get into his armour while falling over.  
  
"Er... Listen... We're really REALLY late for an important thing." He called from the other room. "So me and Matilda will be back in about... Er.... Say one hundred and fifty beats okay?"  
  
He waited for a response while he put on his boots and remembered that he would not get one. He emerged to see his RAcaseal checking her Rifle. He nodded to her and the two of them head for the front door.  
  
"Listen... Um... feel free to wander around the apartment, but don't leave and whatever you do, don't open the door for anyone. In fact..." He stopped and walked back to the girl. Tapping a few buttons on his PSU, a battered old handgun materialised in his outstretched palm. He handed it to her, both of them hesitating for moment when their fingers brushed each other.  
  
"It's not very powerful, but you shoot someone with that and they won't be waking up in the morning... Assuming you know how to use one that is."  
  
The girl answered by taking the gun and expertly flicking the power switch on and the safety off. Malice's eyebrows raised in astonishment. It looked like she might have had some kind of formal training. Another question to ask once he got the time.  
  
"Uh... Great.. Well..."  
  
"Master Malice." Called Matilda, a trace of impatience in her voice.  
  
"Yeah, right!" He sprinted for the door giving one more glance back before shutting it.  
  
-------  
  
The hovercar came to a halt before gliding smoothly sideways into the parking space. It was occupied by three men, the first two, dressed in security uniforms were sitting in the front. They were big no-necked men, the kind that specialised in 'convincing' people and they were not very happy about being squeezed into a tiny vehicle such as the one they were in now. The hovercar's owner was the third passenger. He nursed his nose which was purple, swollen and now affected the way he talked. The engines powered down as the car sank onto its landing struts. The driver, not without great difficulty, twisted in his seat.  
  
"You sure this is the place doc?" His voice was raspy and menacing.  
  
Doctor Sierra left his nose alone for a moment and then glanced outside at the building across the street before typing on the PDA in his other hand.  
  
"Yeah, this is the address she gave on the consent form. Look, she mustn't be harmed alright? She is very valuable and Er... Guys? Can we try and be discrete about the whole thing?"  
  
The second man shook his head in disbelief and chuckled as he got out. The driver just glared at the Doctor like as if he had just been called a moron. He grunted non-comittally and got out also.  
  
"I hope they don't hurt her." Sierra said to himself unhappily.  
  
-------  
  
The note taped to the door read:  
  


_Taking care of business on the surface.  
Will be back at 750 Beats_  
Signed. Doc. Stone

  
  
Below that was the same information in machine code. Doctor Sierra rubbed his nose thoughtfully as he read it. He walked over to his two companions.  
  
"Looks like the owner has gone down to the surface Mr. Benz. I guess we wait..."  
  
"Hey fleshies...!" They turned around to see a half mangled HUcast standing near the locked door. "... There's a queue here, so get in line!"  
  
-------  
  
Malice punched in his ID code and very cautiously opened the door.  
  
"It's me! Malice! Don't shoot me!"  
  
He pushed the door fully open and peered in. The mission on Ragol had gone on longer than he planned, his being late had not helped the mood of his clients any, but on the plus side Matilda had returned to her usual self. At least until it was evening and time to return to Pioneer Two, then she became more withdrawn, he could just not figure that android out sometimes . He stepped hesitantly inside, there seemed to be no sign of the mysterious girl, perhaps she had left?  
  
He had been quite anxious in returning, so much so that he decided to forgo a shopping trip until the next day. He needed to make sure that she was still safe. His fears were answered when he spotted a pair of legs on the floor in the kitchen area. He ran over and saw her lying unconscious on the floor, the gun nowhere in sight. Kneeling down he cradled her in his arms and pressed two fingers to her throat to try and feel for a pulse. He could not find one. He was about to panic, when her eyes fluttered open slowly.  
  
"I fell?" She asked him.  
  
"You're alright!" He said and hug her enthusiastically. "I thought something terrible had happened to you." He relaxed his arms. "And you can talk!"  
  
He noticed that she was blushing again, she was probably not expecting him to do that. He cleared his throat and gently helped her up to her feet.  
  
"I have so many questions for you... For a start... What's your name?" He asked her.  
  
She was about to answer when the doorbell rang several times in quick succession.  
  
"Argh!" Said Malice throwing up his hands in despair. "Don't go anywhere." He said to her with a grin as he walked to the front door.  
  
"Can I help you?" Malice said opening the door.  
  
He was confronted by the sight of three men. The one closest to him was far shorter than the other two and wore a white lab coat, though Malice's eyes could not help but be drawn towards his broken nose. The other two reminded him of the bouncers that would throw him and his friends out after the night got a bit too 'raucous'. Whatever they wanted, it would be trouble.  
  
"My name is Doctor Sierra and you have something that belongs to me. Matilda."  
  
"What?!" Said Malice incredulously. "I'm her owner, before that it was some guy named Krebbs Bellion."  
  
"Ah, no, you misunderstand. I was not referring to your RAcaseal, rather the girl you have staying in your appartment." Sierra replied.  
  
"Her name is Matilda too? That's a bit of a coincidence..." He frowned for a moment as he thought. "Wait a Beat... She seemed to be in a pretty bad state when she got here, what did you do to her and why would she come to me anyway?" He said, anger starting to rise in his voice.  
  
"Then allow me to fill in the gaps in your knowledge. I work for Kitsune Heavy Industries. Since the unfortunate... _events_ of two years ago, android sales have dropped by more than seventy-five percent so my division was tasked with finding a more 'palatable' product for our consumers..."  
  
"You're saying she's an android?!" Interrupted Malice.  
  
"I assure you it is much more complex than that and please don't interrupt me." He waited for Malice to close his mouth before continuing. "As I was saying, our research has proceed in new and exciting directions. We are transcending the mechanical and the organic..." He said excitedly. "These are very interesting times we live in."  
  
Doctor Sierra reached into one of his coat pockets and pulled out a PDA. He showed the display to Malice.  
  
"Three weeks ago, I placed an advert on the android data channels to locate suitable template speciemens. Matilda... Your Matilda, was one of the subjects who applied. The test was advertised as a 'Intensive Cognative Function and Memory experiment.' She completed the test and in exchange for the data we copied from her Core she was well rewarded. Strange that money be an excellent motivator whether you're organic or mechanical."  
  
"My birthday present..." Said Malice touching the chestplate of his armour. Matilda had surprised him with it yesterday morning, he had wondered where she had gotten the money for it but still...  
  
"Yes, well anyway, the girl belongs to me, so I suggest you give her up immediately. The law is quite clear on the ownership of androids..." He pressed a button on the PDA and the certificate of ownership flashed up on it. "Return my property or I'll have you thrown in prison, simple as that."   
  
Malice could feel the anger boiling up inside him at the audacity of this weasely man, but he knew full well about laws on android ownership, when two years ago, Krebbs Bellion's brother had tried to claim Matilda. That time the law had been on Malice's side and so he had no need to give it any more thought. This time he was powerless to do anything he though he _knew_ that something bad was going to happen to her.  
  
"So she's a copy of Matilda's AI in a new body? I guess you win." He admitted down-heartedly. "Can I at least say goodbye to her?" Malice asked Sierra.  
  
"She is special isn't she?" Said Sierra beaming, but then his expression changed to one of utmost seriousness. "You can have one Beat."  
  
Malice resisted the urge to slam the door in that smug bastard's face and saw that the girl, Matilda, was standing nearby.  
  
"I guess you heard all of that?"  
  
She nodded.   
  
"Is he telling the truth?"  
  
"Some of it is truth. I do not remember the test." She replied.  
  
Malice turned to face the RAcaseal. "Is it true?"  
  
"He did not mention what he intended to do with the data, but I needed the money to please you." She replied.  
  
Malice sighed and took the girl's hand and lead her to the bedroom. The sun was set low and even as its orange light filtered through the buildings of the city and streamed into the room it was still blinding. Malice pressed a meseta cube into her palm.  
  
"It's not much but it's all I have on me..." He walked over to the window that led out to the fire-escape stairway and opened it. "Go to the Viridia residential block and seek out an old friend of mine. Gillard Eventide, you met him once remember? He'll hide you until I can find a way out of all this. Understand?"  
  
He gasped as Matilda threw her arms around his body and hugged him tightly. He was caught off-guard by this display of emotion, but returned the favour, holding her firmly in his arms as she buried her face in his chest. When they separated he was quite shocked to see tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"I wanted to tell you everything, but I was afraid you would reject me." She said, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.  
  
They both turned at the sound of the doorbell ringing.  
  
"There's no more time... You have to go now... But we'll see each other soon okay?"  
  
She nodded once more before climbing out of the window and into the light.  
  



	5. Flight To Freedom

**------- Chapter 5 : Flight To Freedom -------**  
  
"Keep ya pants on!" Shouted Malice as he opened the front door.  
  
"Look Mr. Malice, we have been nothing but patient with you and now I demand that you return her to me now." Said Doctor Sierra.  
  
"Wait, wait. I have an idea. Perhaps I could buy her from you. You can always make more right?" Said Malice.  
  
"She is a prototype!" Said Sierra, almost screaming. "We need her back to analyse the nerve degeneration patterns she's developing."  
  
"Nerve what now?"  
  
While the two of them argued, Mr. Benz noticed the RAcaseal inside cast a furtive glance towards a closed door. He did some quick mental arithmetic.  
  
"She's getting away!" He bellowed and sprinted for the elevators.  
  
Doctor Sierra watched as the two security guards headed rapidly down the corridor before giving chase.  
  
As he ran he turned and shouted to Malice. "If she's damaged in any way you're gonna be in deep shit!"  
  
-------  
  
Sarunakai walked dejectedly in the direction of the hoverbus terminal. The piazza was quite crowded as this time of evening, the shoppers were making their way home and the night-life crowd were just setting out. With each plodding step he took felt like his legs were made of lead and his heart felt so heavy that he thought it might burst. He stared at the ground as he walked, the crowd flowing around him like a stream around a rock.  
  
He had just come from his girlfriend's appartment, Mylina was breaking up with him! Breaking up with him! The words echoed around his head and he felt empty inside. She had told him that it was not working out, he was too needy, obsessive almost. Obsessive? He was passionate! She was just afraid of commitment because he vowed to love her with all his heart, with all his soul! She wanted time apart. For how long he had asked. She said that she needed time to clear her head, but her eyes told him everything that her mouth did not. She no longer loved him, he could see that now and no amount of begging or pleading could change that.  
  
He fought back the tears. What they had was... Special. Now... Now he was alone. Where would he find another girl that was quite as special as her...  
  
The world jolted violently as someone or something collided with him. He just about kept his balance and spun around to see what was responsible. On the ground before him was a young woman looking slightly disorientated. Without a moment's hesitation he crouched beside her and with an arm around her waist carefully lifted her back to her feet. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of dark green-blue and he could not help staring into them. Once sure that she was able to stand on her own he reluctantly let her go.  
  
"Are you alright miss? I am so sorry, it was totally my fault." He said as sincerely as he could.  
  
Her expression seemed to be one of extreme consternation and she looked over his shoulder, before turning and running through the throng of people away in the direction of the hoverbus terminal.  
  
"Is something the matter? Miss? Miss!" He called after her.  
  
The world jolted once again as he was shoved to the ground by two burly men. Before he could do or say anything they vanished in the same direction as the girl.  
  
_Alone again._  
  
-------  
  
Matilda found herself running once more. She was not overly familiar with the area but the sign posting was adequate enough for her to make her way to the bus terminal. Unfortunately, she still lacked footware and every passing Beat spelt more pain, all she could do was grit her teeth and try to ignore it. What she could not ignore was the two humans pursuing her, she was unable to lose them in the crowds nor as she entered the terminal building itself. Once inside the building, exits were limited, the only way was up to the upper landing platforms.  
  
-------  
  
Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her, combined with the fact that she had not eaten since the morning, meant that she was feeling light-headed and found it hard to stay focused. The lifts had taken her to the uppermost floor but after staggering out onto the landing platforms she was dismayed to find that none of the buses were taking off in the next five Beats. Now desperate, she ascended an access ladder, her jogging-bottoms impeding her progress as they slipped down. She could not afford to waste any more time, discarding them to drift off down the side of the building.  
  
The roof was a flat expanse apart from vents and lift maintainence access huts, there was nowhere to hide and the wind caused by convection currents chilled her exposed legs, making her shiver. She moved over to the far side to see if there was a way back down, but could see none. Above the howl of the wind she could hear booted feet climbing the ladder, Mr. Benz's head emerging into view. He pulled himself up, he was also breathing hard. Putting up his forearm-mounted Comms panel up to his mouth he spoke something into it but she could not make out the words over the sound of the wind.  
  
"It's alright!" He shouted out. "The doctor will be here in half a Beat."  
  
It was not long before they heard the whine of a hovervehicle's engines as Doctor Sierra flew his car in and landed on the largest available clear area. He emerged and approached Mr. Benz. After whispering something in his ear, Mr. Benz nodded and then got into the car.  
  
"There! He's gone. It's just us two. You can trust me." He said in a raised voice.  
  
He began to approach her and she in turn started to take steps backwards towards the edge.  
  
"Wait! Stop! You'll fall!" Sierra said as he stopped his advance.  
  
Matilda shivered and hugged herself for warmth, the dying sun's rays not enough to battle the chill of the wind. Peering behind her, she could see how dangerously close the edge was, the wall surrounding it low enough to cause her to trip if she was not careful. She took a deliberate step backwards.  
  
"WAIT! Please! You must come back with me. You need my help." She did not reply so he continued. "The pain... The spasms... They've been getting more frequent and stronger right?"  
  
She nodded. He took a cautious step forward.  
  
"It's the process we used to create your body. The right AI was important but we're still experimenting with the ratios. Mixing human and D cells on a mechanical framework isn't an exact science. The neural network shows signs of instability." He took another step forward. "If you come back to the lab with me, We... I could come up with a cure. You wouldn't have to die."  
  
"Die?" She said fearfully.  
  
"We can avoid that... Please." He took another step forward and reached into his trouser pocket.  
  
She retreated another step, banging her heel into the low wall. She stepped up onto the wall and tried to look as defiant as possible even as her hands trembled violently from the cold. As he removed his hand she saw it was the remote control, the one that could communicate with the small metal bolt hidden amongst the hair on her right temple. She knew he would mean to put her into sleep mode so he could return her back to the lab, what choice did she have available to her? Looking down she could see the city street spread out below. Sierra hesitated. If he activated the sleep mode she could fall.  
  
However, it turned out that neither of them would be required to make a decision. Matilda flexed backwards as her spine lit-up in agony, pain coursing through her very being. She dropped her knees out in an attempt to maintain her balance but it was not enough. Doctor Sierra shouted something and raced to grab her arm as Matilda's left leg gave way and she toppled backwards over the wall.  
  
The world spun end over end as time itself seemed to slow down.  
  
_Internal chronometer is faulty._  
  
With seemingly endless time available to her and despite the pain her thoughts returned to the master.  
  
_Will I see Malice again?_  
  
She shut her eyes and a stream of tears fell from her eyes like tiny diamonds. With the ground now rapidly rushing up to greet her, she knew that it would be over soon and so waited for that final embrace of darkness.  
  



	6. Alt Ending 1 In This Life Or The Next

The first of two alternate endings. They are not required reading... They are more like 'What if something different happened?'**  
  
------- Alternate Chapter 5 (I) : In This Life Or The Next -------**  
  
"Keep ya pants on!" Shouted Malice as he opened the front door.  
  
"Look Mr. Malice, we have been nothing but patient with you and now I demand that you return her to me now." Said Doctor Sierra.  
  
"Wait, wait. I have an idea. Perhaps I could buy her from you. You can always make more right?" Said Malice.  
  
"She is a prototype!" Said Sierra, almost screaming. "We need her back to analyse the nerve degeneration patterns she's developing."  
  
"Nerve what now?"  
  
While the two of them argued, Mr. Benz noticed the RAcaseal inside cast a furtive glance towards a closed door. He did some quick mental arithmetic.  
  
"She's getting away!" He bellowed and sprinted for the elevators.  
  
Doctor Sierra watched as the two security guards headed rapidly down the corridor before giving chase.  
  
As he ran he turned and shouted to Malice. "If she's damaged in any way you're gonna be in deep shit!"  
  
-------  
  
Sarunakai walked dejectedly in the direction of the hoverbus terminal. The piazza was quite crowded as this time of evening, the shoppers were making their way home and the night-life crowd were just setting out. With each plodding step he took felt like his legs were made of lead and his heart felt so heavy that he thought it might burst. He stared at the ground as he walked, the crowd flowing around him like a stream around a rock.  
  
He had just come from his girlfriend's appartment, Mylina was breaking up with him! Breaking up with him! The words echoed around his head and he felt empty inside. She had told him that it was not working out, he was too needy, obsessive almost. Obsessive? He was passionate! She was just afraid of commitment because he vowed to love her with all his heart, with all his soul! She wanted time apart. For how long he had asked. She said that she needed time to clear her head, but her eyes told him everything that her mouth did not. She no longer loved him, he could see that now and no amount of begging or pleading could change that.  
  
He fought back the tears. What they had was... Special. Now... Now he was alone. Where would he find another girl that was quite as special as her...  
  
The world jolted violently as someone or something collided with him. He just about kept his balance and spun around to see what was responsible. On the ground before him was a young woman looking slightly disorientated. Without a moment's hesitation he crouched beside her and with an arm around her waist carefully lifted her back to her feet. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of dark green-blue and he could not help staring into them. Once sure that she was able to stand on her own he reluctantly let her go.  
  
"Are you alright miss? I am so sorry, it was totally my fault." He said as sincerely as he could.  
  
A few people had stopped to see what was going on but they quickly went about their business. The girl tugged the jogging bottoms that she was wearing up high around her waist. It was clearly several sizes too large for her, in fact the top she was wearing also hung about her, like she had just stolen the clothes of a large man. She began to glance over his shoulder, past him in the direction of the road. He looked there to see two men running towards them.  
  
"Are you in trouble miss? Are those men after you?" He asked her.  
  
"I must go now." She said, beginning to back away from him.  
  
Sarunakai held on to her wrist lightly. "I can help you... If you'll let me."  
  
She hesitated and looked at his face. He seemed to be genuinely concerned for her predicament, despite having only just met her.  
  
"Help me please." She said, her voice no louder than a whisper.  
  
Hearing the approaching commotion, Sarunakai turned around to put himself between between the girl and the two men. He could see them fully now that the crowd had thinned slightly. They were muscular in build, they would make natural HUnters, yet they were dressed in dark navy uniforms, the badges marking them out as security guards of some kind. They noticed his intent to interfere and slowed their run to a jog, hands hovering close to the holstered side arm that each of them wore.  
  
"Stay out of this kid. It's none of your business." Said the first one, obviously the leader.  
  
Kid? Sarunakai scoffed at the remark. He might had been only eighteen, but he considered himself to be quite wise for his age. He was also glad that he was dressed in casual attire and not his FOrce robes. If there was going to be any trouble, they would be in for a surprise.  
  
"Why should I believe you?" He retorted.  
  
The man raised his left forearm to his mouth and pressed a button upon it.  
  
"Doc? We got her cornered outside southside bus terminal." He lowered his arm and addressed Sarunakai. "I suggest you step aside. She's coming with us."  
  
Sarunakai sniggered. "I'd like to see you try."  
  
He felt the girl put her hands upon his shoulders and press herself into his back. She was afraid of these men, and he would definitely not stand to let her fall into their hands, least not without a damn good reason. As one, they reached for their guns, Sarunakai reacted by instinct, throwing up an out-stretched hand.  
  
"Gibarta!" He commanded.  
  
The air before him turned white in a cone shape starting from his hand as he ripped the entropic energy from it. A layer of ice building up rapidly on the two men as well as on a few bystanders who had stopped to see what was happening. Even with their muscle strength impaired by the numbing cold, it would not be long before they broke free. He had bought them a Beat or two of time at best and they could not afford to linger any further, so he turned around to face her.  
  
"I can help you, but only if you trust me." He said holding out his hand.  
  
She looked at his hand, then into his eyes and his heart skipped a beat. Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked her.  
  
"I am to find someone in Viridia sector. They can hide me." She replied.  
  
He glanced over his shoulder. The two men had shielded their faces when they were frozen so they would not be able to see which direction they would be heading. They set off for the hoverbus terminal. He soon noticed that she had no shoes on of any kind, that the running was painful for her. He would have gladly carried her, but he lacked the physical strength to do so for any amount of time and he was already exhausted from the Technique that he had cast on her pursuers.  
  
Once inside the terminal, he hastily purchased two tickets for the first available bus leaving with the intent of changing to one headed to their destination as soon as was possible. A mad dash to the lifts, they were able to catch their ride with only centibeats to spare. They were late-comers and so had to stand, the vehicle packed with shoppers. When the bus started moving, the girl was caught unawares and she fell forwards, grabbing his shirt to save herself. He in turn placed an arm around her to keep her steady.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't let you fall. Though I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Sarunakai. What's yours?"  
  
"I am Matilda."  
  
"Matilda? That's a beautiful name."  
  
Matilda blushed at the comment. _Stupid! Don't embaress her. Gotta be smooth..._ They stood there in awkward silence, just holding each other as the hoverbus wove its way through the evening traffic of the city. Sarunakai was unsure of what to say next, he had no desire to see her disappear from his life once he delivered Matilda to her destination but anything he said might sound contrived, plus he was content to just stand there and feel her warmth as he held her.  
  
Sarunakai frowned. He could feel her body beginning to tremble almost as if she were cold, yet with so many people in close proximity the temperature was enough to induce a light sweat on his brow. He looked at her face to see her eyes shut tight, lips drawn back in a grimace.  
  
"Are you all right? You seem..."  
  
She slipped down out of his grasp and collapsed to the floor, convulsing slightly. Sarunakai knelt beside her as a low groan escaped her lips. What was happening to her? As she writhed and stretched in pain he lay his hands upon her in a vain attempt to calm her down. He was not sure if casting Resta now would have any effect since she did not appear to have any wounds, but he could not think of anything else he could do and seeing her in this condition was heart-wrenching.  
  
He pressed his hands upon her chest and shut his eyes, letting out a breath slowly as he struggled to empty himself of the anxiety he was feeling all the while trying to ignore the voices of the other passengers that had now taken an interest in their situation. A faint green glow started to emanate from around his hands, growing more and more brighter in intensity. Soon the light coalesced into green energy that poured into her body.  
  
He opened his eyes slightly to see if it was having the desired effect and was dismayed to see that she was still flopping around, her face scrunched up in agony. He became even more frantic, but that was ruining his concentration and the light rapidly began to fade. Her movements became slower and weaker, arms dropping to her sides as her legs became still.  
  
"I... I..." She tried to speak.  
  
"I think she's dying, fly this thing to a hospital!" A voice cried out. It sounded so distant he could not even be sure if he had said it or if it was someone else.  
  
He carefully lifted her head and brushed the hairs from her eyes.  
  
"Don't speak. You've been through a lot but I think you're okay now."  
  
"... Feel different. It... Is not.. Like the other... Times..." With every word, her voice got weaker, her eyes losing focus and staring beyond him.  
  
"No! NO! Hold on!" He cried out, shaking her gently. "We're nearly there... Nearly there..."  
  
Matilda's head lolled to one side, her eyes now lifeless. Sarunakai pulled her up close to him and hugged her tight. He could not help but shed a tear for the girl he would never know as the bus began its descent into the shadows of the city.  
  



	7. Alt Ending 2 Fugitive Hearts

The second of two alternate endings. They are not required reading... They are more like 'What if something different happened?' This one is a more up-beat ending and leaves open for a sequel...  
**  
  
------- Alternate Chapter 5 (2) : Fugitive Hearts -------**  
  
"Keep ya pants on!" Shouted Malice as he opened the front door.  
  
"Look Mr. Malice, we have been nothing but patient with you and now I demand that you return her to me now." Said Doctor Sierra.  
  
"Wait, wait. I have an idea. Perhaps I could buy her from you. You can always make more right?" Said Malice.  
  
"She is a prototype!" Said Sierra, almost screaming. "We need her back to analyse the nerve degeneration patterns she's developing."  
  
"Nerve what now?"  
  
While the two of them argued, Mr. Benz noticed the RAcaseal inside cast a furtive glance towards a closed door. He did some quick mental arithmetic.  
  
"She's getting away!" He bellowed and sprinted for the elevators.  
  
Doctor Sierra watched as the two security guards headed rapidly down the corridor before giving chase.  
  
As he ran he turned and shouted to Malice. "If she's damaged in any way you're gonna be in deep shit!"  
  
-------  
  
Sarunakai walked dejectedly in the direction of the hoverbus terminal. The piazza was quite crowded as this time of evening, the shoppers were making their way home and the night-life crowd were just setting out. With each plodding step he took felt like his legs were made of lead and his heart felt so heavy that he thought it might burst. He stared at the ground as he walked, the crowd flowing around him like a stream around a rock.  
  
He had just come from his girlfriend's appartment, Mylina was breaking up with him! Breaking up with him! The words echoed around his head and he felt empty inside. She had told him that it was not working out, he was too needy, obsessive almost. Obsessive? He was passionate! She was just afraid of commitment because he vowed to love her with all his heart, with all his soul! She wanted time apart. For how long he had asked. She said that she needed time to clear her head, but her eyes told him everything that her mouth did not. She no longer loved him, he could see that now and no amount of begging or pleading could change that.  
  
He fought back the tears. What they had was... Special. Now... Now he was alone. Where would he find another girl that was quite as special as her...  
  
The world jolted violently as someone or something collided with him. He just about kept his balance and spun around to see what was responsible. On the ground before him was a young woman looking slightly disorientated. Without a moment's hesitation he crouched beside her and with an arm around her waist carefully lifted her back to her feet. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of dark green-blue and he could not help staring into them. Once sure that she was able to stand on her own he reluctantly let her go.  
  
"Are you alright miss? I am so sorry, it was totally my fault." He said as sincerely as he could.  
  
A few people had stopped to see what was going on but they quickly went about their business. The girl tugged the jogging bottoms that she was wearing up high around her waist. It was clearly several sizes too large for her, in fact the top she was wearing also hung about her, like she had just stolen the clothes of a large man. She began to glance over his shoulder, past him in the direction of the road. He looked there to see two men running towards them.  
  
"Are you in trouble miss? Are those men after you?" He asked her.  
  
"I must go now." She said, beginning to back away from him.  
  
Sarunakai held on to her wrist lightly. "I can help you... If you'll let me."  
  
She hesitated and looked at his face. He seemed to be genuinely concerned for her predicament, despite having only just met her.  
  
"Help me please." She said, her voice no louder than a whisper.  
  
Hearing the approaching commotion, Sarunakai turned around to put himself between between the girl and the two men. He could see them fully now that the crowd had thinned slightly. They were muscular in build, they would make natural HUnters, yet they were dressed in dark navy uniforms, the badges marking them out as security guards of some kind. They noticed his intent to interfere and slowed their run to a jog, hands hovering close to the holstered side arm that each of them wore.  
  
"Stay out of this kid. It's none of your business." Said the first one, obviously the leader.  
  
Kid? Sarunakai scoffed at the remark. He might had been only eighteen, but he considered himself to be quite wise for his age. He was also glad that he was dressed in casual attire and not his FOrce robes. If there was going to be any trouble, they would be in for a surprise.  
  
"Why should I believe you?" He retorted.  
  
The man raised his left forearm to his mouth and pressed a button upon it.  
  
"Doc? We got her cornered outside southside bus terminal." He lowered his arm and addressed Sarunakai. "I suggest you step aside. She's coming with us."  
  
Sarunakai sniggered. "I'd like to see you try."  
  
He felt the girl put her hands upon his shoulders and press herself into his back. She was afraid of these men, and he would definitely not stand to let her fall into their hands, least not without a damn good reason. As one, they reached for their guns, Sarunakai reacted by instinct, throwing up an out-stretched hand.  
  
"Gibarta!" He commanded.  
  
The air before him turned white in a cone shape starting from his hand as he ripped the entropic energy from it. A layer of ice building up rapidly on the two men as well as on a few bystanders who had stopped to see what was happening. Even with their muscle strength impaired by the numbing cold, it would not be long before they broke free. He had bought them a Beat or two of time at best and they could not afford to linger any further, so he turned around to face her.  
  
"I can help you, but only if you trust me." He said holding out his hand.  
  
She looked at his hand, then into his eyes and his heart skipped a beat. Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked her.  
  
"I am to find someone in Viridia sector. They can hide me." She replied.  
  
He glanced over his shoulder. The two men had shielded their faces when they were frozen so they would not be able to see which direction they would be heading. They set off running for the hoverbus terminal, but he pulled her to a halt.  
  
"Wait!" He said, looking her up and down. "You'll stick out like a sore thumb dressed like that on a bus. We don't want them to have a trail to follow."  
  
He led them left towards the road and away from the bus terminal, threading through the throng of shoppers, to a rank of hovertaxis lined up. Leaping into the first one available they instructed the driver to get them out of there. The taxi rose from the road and streaked off into the sky.  
  
"Viridia residential block!" Sarunakai commanded the driver as he turned in his seat and peered through the rear window at the sight of the piazza receeding behind them. "I think we're clear now."  
  
He turned back to the girl, she was leaning forward and breathing hoarsely, he rubbed her back gently as she fought to regain control. She must have been through a lot before destiny brought them together.  
  
"Now that we're safe I guess introductions are in order. My name is Sarunakai." He said bowing slightly. "And your's is?"  
  
She looked at him for a few milliBeats before answering. "Matilda."  
  
"Matilda?" He beamed. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl!"  
  
Matilda blushed at the comment. _Stupid! Don't embaress her. Gotta be smooth..._ They sat there in awkward silence for a while, Sarunakai stopped rubbing her back to allow her to lie back on the seat. He was perfectly content to sit there and stare at her, all of the day's ills vanishing in her presence. And yet... He knew that once they arrived at her destination she might walk out of his life, never to be seen again. He needed an excuse, something... Anything that would keep them together for just a few Beats more.  
  
The taxi dipped down and merged with a stream of slower moving hover vehicles, Sarunakai taking his eyes off Matilda long enough to check where they were. Even with this heavier traffic, they were no more than six or seven Beats away now. He let out a heavy sigh.  
  
"I don't supposed you'd mind me asking why those me..." Sarunakai's voice tailed off as he saw Matilda's expression.  
  
Her eyes were screwed shut, teeth bared as her faced was locked in a grimace. She began to rock backward and forward, arms twisting uncontrollably.  
  
"Are you alright?" He was genuinely concerned now.  
  
Matilda pushed her hips forward and arched her back, sliding towards the floor as she moaned in pain.  
  
"I... Er... What's wrong? Please tell me!" He said desperately.  
  
"Is there a problem?" Called back the driver.  
  
"Just drive!" Replied Sarunakai frustratedly.  
  
He looked down on Matilda as she contorted in silent agony. It was heart-wrenching to see her like this and he knew he should at least try something. He closed his eyes and laid his hands gently on her heaving chest, breathing out slowly as he focused his mind on the task at hand.  
  
The interior of the cab lit up with an eerie green glow as Sarunakai poured his life-energy into the Resta technique. The light condensing out of the air into droplets of pure power that flowed into Matilda's body. He could still feel her moving below his palms, with no idea if it was working or not all he could do was continue.  
  
The strain of maintaining the technique was starting to overwhelm Sarunakai, his hands trembling violently as the nerves in his arms began to tingle and go numb. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to go on, but when his head began to feel light he realised that he had to stop or risk lapsing into unconsciousness. He pulled his hands back and shook them in an attempt to get the feeling back as he looked up his handiwork.  
  
Matilda's movements had slowed down greatly, her eyelids fluttering open and closed as her eyes darted around the cabin, looking, but no longer seeing. Her breathing slowed, her limbs going limp as her face relaxed. She looked almost peaceful...  
  
"No! Don't go to sleep!" Said Sarunakai as he tried to shake her.  
  
His arms felt like they were made of rubber and he was unable to grip with his fingers at all, but he tried to rouse her anyway. As he shook her gently, her head lolled to one side, her eyes closing and her breathing could no longer be heard over the sound of the taxi's thrusters.  
  
"Please don't... Please..." He said quietly, resting his head on her stomach.  
  
--------------  
  
The line of people was moving impossibly slowly, Sarunakai had been to funerals faster than this. He leaned to his left and peered down the line to see what the hold-up was. A fat man dressed in an ill fitting RAnger outfit was arguing with Immigration guards, he was doing so loudly enough for Sarunakai to catch his name: Racton. Racton was sweating profusely, was it fear or perhaps the sunlight streaming down through the dome of Pioneer Two? It no longer mattered, Racton was hauled away by two burly guards, protesting loudly as he went.  
  
Sarunakai turned to his companion and smiled as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.  
  
"You okay?" He asked.  
  
Matilda nodded. It was the thirty-seventh time he had asked her that since they awoke together this morning, but she did not mind. She had already become used to his idiosyncrasies in the three days they had been together.  
  
The spasm she had had in the hover taxi was the most intense one she had experienced to date, yet when Sarunakai had cast Resta upon Matilda the pain subsided rapidly and calm had flowed through her. Upon the next attack Sarunakai had given her subsequent treatments with his abilities and managed to stop the condition within milliBeats. It appeared that the Resta decreased not only the intensity of the spasms, but their frequency too. With this reasoning came the realisation that she would never be able to leave his side for long periods of time.  
  
Other important factors needed to be taken into consideration too. When they finally reached Gillard Eventide, he informed them that he was engaged in a close personal relationship with a member of the HG Investigation Unit, the Hunter police as it were, hiding a fugative would be next to impossible for him. Gillard had suggested that Sarunakai look after Matilda and so he graciously accepted her into his home.  
  
_He is kind._  
  
While they hid in his appartment there was plenty of opportunity for discussion. Sarunakai treated her as an equal even after she had explained the story of her life to him. He told her that she should not be bound by limitations of her 'programming', she had been given a taste of freedom and now she should seek it out. She did not need to serve a master, she was now free to choose what and who she wanted.  
  
Matilda had been confused by this initially, she protested that she was not capable of such choice, her mind still set on the old ways. He reminded her to stop thinking like an android, her destiny now lay before her. She asked him if he was merely saying these things to take her away from her master, Malice. Sarunakai reassured her, saying that he only wished her to be free, to choose what she desired, even if that choice ultimately took Matilda away from him.  
  
Rumours reached them of searches in the Guild for people matching their description. As long as they remained on board Pioneer Two there was always the risk of getting caught. A BEE message from Malice informed them that he was being monitor until she returned. Going back was no longer a choice, so Sarunakai did a deal with a shady organisation called Black Paper, though he kept the details of the deal secret from her.  
  
The line moved forward another metre or so, they would be next soon. She fidgeted with her clothes again. She was wearing the full length robes of the FOmarl class, they were dark blue in colour and quite heavy. Matilda was still uncomfortable with the concept of wearing clothing and would often remove what she wore at the first available opportunity, much to the conflicted disapproval of Sarunakai.  
  
Matilda's hand moved up to touch the ornate triangular head piece that pinned her hair into a bunch on the top of her head, but the sound of Sarunakai tutting caused her to stop. Though she could not see the need for it, he had reassured her that it was necessary to complete the disguise.  
  
"You okay?" Thirty-eight.  
  
"Next!" called the guard behind the desk.  
  
The pair walked up to it and Sarunakai handed the man two data disks.  
  
"Names?" Said the man in a tired voice, not looking up from the monitors.  
  
"Sarunakai Vii Tessak."  
  
There was moment of silence. The man looked up and scowled at Matilda.  
  
"Name." He demanded.  
  
"Juna Sesame." She said meekly.  
  
The man grunted indifferently and then stabbed at the keyboard with his thick fingers.  
  
"Reason for visit to Lesquotia?"  
  
Sarunakai squeezed Mailda's hand once more. "Permanant residence."  
  
"Okay, approved." He said handing back the data disks to Sarunakai and indictating the transporter platform behind him with his thumb.  
  
As they stepped onto the platform Matilda took one last look around. It had been her home for most of her existance, she had lost two masters here. Now she was to start a new life with a third.  
  
_Not a master. An equal._  
  
Malice would always have the original Matilda to care for him as she had done, as she still did, but there was no going back now. Only forward. Sarunakai stood directly in front of Matilda and took both her hands in his, their fingers intertwined.  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked.  
  
She only smiled back at him as everything vanished in a brilliant shower of light.  
  


_To be concluded in 'More Than Human'_


End file.
